


Time to Ride Off Into the Sunset

by WhirlyBird70



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Aka where instead of heading off on their own, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Forehead Kisses, Grief, Jesse and Genji head off together and heal, M/M, On a road trip, Post Blackwatch Era, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Road Trips, Short Stories, Stealing, injuries, it's like in the area between bw and the recall, just when I feel like writing., okay, so no scheduled updates, this is my writer's block story
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-26
Updated: 2018-07-27
Packaged: 2019-05-08 09:53:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14691711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhirlyBird70/pseuds/WhirlyBird70
Summary: Jesse bit back a sharp laugh, but Genji could still see the sharpness in his eyes."We gotta get outa here."Genji didn't even have to ask why - he, a weapon in the hands of the corrupted government? And Jesse? A former gang member?They would never really live."When?" He managed past his parched lips."When Ang' pulls ya off the wires - should be next week. I''l look at the schematics, see where your tracker is. I'll disable it then we'll go to a Blackwatch hideout. Somewhere know one will think to look."Jesse smiled down at him, reaching up a hand to brush Genji's short hair out of his face. "Then we'll rebuild whatever life we had - and hunt down who ever killed them."Genji was no stranger to revenge, and agreed with a nod of his head, eyes drooping slightly."Sleep tight pumpkin- I'll see you in a week."Or: The road trip that would happen if Genji and Jesse left together after the Watchpoint exploded, and the consequential silliness and soul searching that comes with it.





	1. Let's Start from the Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> So this was an idea I had while on writer's block for my other stories.  
> eventually this will become a one shot series, but for now it's one arc and till I stay it isn't.
> 
> Characterization and writing style tends to switch halfway through, so sorry!  
> (also Not really Mercy friendly, sorry!)
> 
> Please point out any mistakes I may have made!

In a moment, the Watchpoint had been turned into a pile of twisted metal and ash.

In a moment, a couple hundred agents had lost the only home they had ever really loved - the only family that had truly loved them back.

And, lying there in the ash, Genji didn't know what he could do about it.

All of the processors now embedded in his mind, all of his left over instincts from before told him to get up and do something about it - to help, to move, to find _him_.

But he couldn't exactly do anything about the screaming in his mind because there was a large metal beam collapsed upon him, right at the hips. If he had been human he would have been crippled for life, or even killed from the blood loss.

_If he had been human..._

**_No_** , he forced the thought away, allowing his fingers to curl in the ash. He was still human - he had to be- he still had flesh and blood and metal lungs and a heart and half a face.

 _A human with some metal bits_ \- that was what Jesse said.

Human.

It was those metal bit's keeping him from being like all the other agents lying around him in lifeless heaps, fire still burning their flesh away.

He could not hear them groaning _he could not they were dead they felt no pain-_

He needed to move. Where in the world was Jesse?

-

It had been 12 hours- that's what his internal clock said.

12 hours.

At 3 the muted groaning stopped for good.

At 5 the sun finally rose.

At 7 the rescue copters finally reached his quadrant of the base.

(The reporters had been spotted around the scene at hour 6)

At 9, a medic had taken one look at him - metal and flesh, red bloody eyes - and announced to the others that the area was clear.

(If he had been able to speak he would have screamed  _No!_  at them but Ziegler had taken out his voice box when he tried to protest the latest batch of addition to his body  _(Good patients don't fight their angels Genji!_ ) He  ** _hated_  **her)

At hour 10 he had spotted the glowing wings of the devil angel woman, flying above.

At the twelfth hour he just gave up. Expecting to die again on the ground, this time for sure, because no Overwatch agents were searching for him ( _waiting for his moment of weakness so they could manipulate him into being their little_ toy _)_

"Pard'ner?"

Oh if he had tear ducts he would cry with joy.

Instead he shifted his hand, trying to convey that feeling. It seemed to work as Jesse gave him the most gentle smile.

"Hey darling- you hurtin'? Ah silly question I know- we're all hurtin' - lemme get you outta there-," He rambled in that beautiful southern accent of his. Genji could only watch as the cowboy moved to lift the beam off of his broken body.

The man looked worse for wear. He was covered in pealing burns and his beloved hat had been badly singed. His clothes were also covered in soot and missing a few patches in varied spots.

But he had managed to keep Peacekeeper - and those ridiculous spurs. Genjji gave a small smile. His cowboy had come - the real angel if you asked him.

"Damn" His thoughts were torn away at the slight shift of weight at his midsection. He tilted his head in question at the other.

"Beam's too heavy for me to lift - Ah gotta go get help. You sit still." He smiled tensely at his own joke, and left with a quick, tender kiss to Genji's forehead.

And so- at the thirteenth hour Genji was left again, waiting for a help he didn't know would come.

(Because he never really knew if Jesse liked  _(loved)_ him. Because the last person to tell him  _I love you,_  had been Hanzo and Hanzo had taken his sword and the brother dragon and split his soul in two to kill him rip, out his spine, destroy his limbs and give _him sososomuchpain-)_

He stopped keeping track of the time then - stopped ignoring the little dashes form his cybernetic parts and started focusing on the human of him- the part that had hope instead of facts.

And he held on tight to that hope until Jesse came back, Reinhardt in tow.

"Here," Jesse croaked at the man. Had he been crying? "He's been here since the fall of this thing - no one saved him and Angie took away his voice during his last episode and -"

"I know. You told me three times." Reinhardt rumbled softly. Quietly.

When was the last time that man had been quiet?

"Let's see what we can do for you, small sparrow," Reinhardt smiled down at him - sadness in his eyes- and started to move to the beams.

He had always been fatherly.

Jesse moved to kneel worriedly beside Genji's head."Hey hon, how-ya doin'?" He said, running a hand through Genji's matted black hair as he moved the cyborg's head into his lap.

Genji gave a small smile in return, reaching his human hand to Jesse's free one - and grabbed it tight as he gave a silent scream at the sudden pain that erupted from his legs.

What had happen? Where did the pain come from? An attack? He needed to move to breathe to do  _something-_

And then there was Jesse quieting his silent screams by a hand tenderly cradling his face, "Hush, Darling, it's all gonna be okay now the beams off you- we'll get your legs fixed up right okay? All good - Rein' that thing must have been shutting down his sensors, they're all going off now-"

"We will get him to Angela."

"Got it,"

_No-no-no not her anyone but her-_

But the pain was too much and darkness swept over him.

________________________________________________

When Genji woke for he first time, it was to bright blinding lights and the steady thrum of medical equipment.

He shut his eyes, wishing it would go away.

The next few times he gained coherence, he only recognized a few things.

The steady weight of a calloused hand holding his.

The rumble of a southern drawl saying "-Angela no - he doesn't need this why-"

A steady somber whisper of "I am sorry, my friend,"

And "Don't worry Genji - I'll fix you up again better than ever!"

He just wanted out of this hell.

Finally, he woke for good, and was greeted by a familiar face.

"Jesse"

"Genji,"

Oh his voice was working again he could cry - oh he was crying. Actually crying - the devil angel woman must have  _finally_ decided to repair his broken tear ducts.

"Oh darling- hey now none of that- come on-" A hand rubbed at his cheeks where tears now fell, so refreshingly familiar. 

After the little episode, when Genji had calmed down, he asked what had happened.

Jesse sat back in his chair with a distant look in his eyes - one that Genji recognized well. It was one remembering haunting memories.

When he spoke his voice was rough. "Gabe and Jack had an argument. Dunno what it was about this time but the whole base was really tense. You were training, and I was out on some low level mission - just checking out a nearby town trying to get away from all of this."

Genji remembered. He had been frustrated that Jesse was out of the base when it was so incredibly tense there, and so he had gone to train and blow off some frustration.

Jesse was still talking. "But then something happened - a buncha bombs had been planted at the base - we're assuming Talon- and the place blew. I heard it on the news and raced here fast as I could. G-gabe's gone. So's Jack. The rescue crews had left when I finally found you-we brought you back to Gibraltar."

Genji could see him breaking - Gabe had practically been his father, and Jack had watched out for him. Them. Both of them.

Nothing had gone right since Venice had it?

But comfort helped sooth some of that pain. Genji knew. McCree had eased much of his pain with the comfort he offered him. Perhaps he could help now. 

Moving carefully so that the wires plugged into him didn't twist awry, he reached to hug the other man. Jesse folded into his embrace with little struggle, and started to sob.

"Th-they're gone Genj' gone - we didn't even find their bodies. They.. they w-were at the spot here most of the bombs were... I thought that Gabe might've survived with all his nanite mods but-" He broke out into sobs again.

It was awhile till he could speak without his voice breaking but when he did, he told Genji perhaps the worse news.

"They're shuttin' us down. They said we're too unstable, to dangerous. They don't trust us-"

He breathed heavily as Genji looked at him with a shocked expression.

"Wha-" He swallowed back the unescapable dryness in his throat. "What?"

"The Government - United Nations - whatever I didn't really pay attention just- they're shuttin' Overwatch down. Blackwatch too. The have this whole list of BS reasons - we're unstable, to big a target, we're endangering the rest of the world, we-we-were monsters, they don't even see the family we've got here an-."

Jesse bit back a sharp laugh, but Genji could still see the sharpness in his eyes.

"We gotta get outa here."

Genji didn't even have to ask why - he, a weapon in the hands of the corrupted government? And Jesse? A former gang member?

They would never really live.

"When?" He managed past his parched lips.

"When Ang' pulls ya off the wires - should be next week. I''l look at the schematics, see where your tracker is. I'll disable it then we'll go to a Blackwatch hideout. Somewhere know one will think to look."

Jesse smiled down at him, reaching up a hand to brush Genji's short hair out of his face. "Then we'll rebuild whatever life we had - and hunt down who ever killed them."

Genji was no stranger to revenge, and agreed with a nod of his head, eyes drooping slightly.

"Sleep tight, pumpkin- I'll see you in a week."

-

It was laughably easy to sneak Genji out of medical, and take the weapons from the armory, mainly due to the lack of guards and cameras on the soon to-be out-of-commission base.

It was even more laughable to get past the fail safes put in his system.

"She think's ahm stupid- guess it worked to our favor this time ey?" Jesse laughed, referring to how Mercy had blatantly left the blueprints and codes to Genji's systems on her desk, in easy view of McCree when he had gone to see her assuming he wouldn't be able to make sense of them.

"Indeed," Genji smiled behind his mask as they looked out from the roof of the base.

"I do have to hand it to her - for all her lack of perception on me she certainly made your new body well." The cowboy gave an appreciative glance down Genji's new gray, silver, and neon green body. (They both ignored the fact that Mercy had seen it approiate to remove Genji's last remaining,  _healthy_  arm to create said body.)

The ninja shifted, betraying the embarrassed blush on his cheeks hidden beneath his mask. "Yes, it will make it harder for people to recognize me." He completely, purposefully bypassed what the other was trying to say. Before the cowboy could reply however, Genji noticed their cue - the light's off at the vehicle hanger, signaling that whoever was stationed there had left their shift.

"Let's go." He said, and jumped from the roof. He did not have to look back to know that Jesse was following him, albeit slower.

They made short work of stealing the hover-cycle . An nondescript gray, it was made for undercover missions, and had many unnoticeable yet advanced features: secret compartments, hidden weaponry, and high powered engines.

Jesse made quick work of the tracking systems on the vehicle as well.

"Did Dr. Ziegler leave the schematics to this one out of her desk as well?" Genji teased.

"Nope," Jesse said, climbing onto the seat "Ah learned this myself. Liked to drive but G-Gabe" He stuttered over the name," didn't like that. So I went behind his back and hot wired the vehicles myself. Got caught in the first three minutes, so I learned how to disable the trackers. Took em three days to catch me then."

Genji giggled and climbed behind him, wrapping his arms around the bigger man. "Alright then cowboy- let's get going."

Jesse smiled and revved the engine. "Sure thing, sweetheart."

The alarms on the base went off five hours later, alerting it's inhabitants to the missing cycle and patients, but the culprits were already far, far away.

-

Their first stop was Almeria, Spain, about 3 hours away. They had a small, tiny hideout there, stocked with maps, food, weapons, and extra clothes.

After all, they had only brought themselves, their weapons, the clothes they were wearing, and a few personal items from Gibraltar (only love what you can carry- what you can save- was their motto)

After packing the supplies into the car, and putting on more casual clothes, they left for Barcelona.

It was a 7 hour drive, and they were exhausted by the time they arrived at their hotel. They threw their belongings on the couch and collapsed into bed together, ignoring their worries for a few blissful hours of sleep.

Maybe tomorrow would be brighter.


	2. Wanted: Dead Or Alive

Jesse woke to bright sunlight glaring into his closed eyes, cold metal at his back, and unfamiliar scratchy blankets over his body.

At first he was confused - the metal at his back was obviously Genji, and the blankets were a bit scratchier than normal but not completely out there - but the sunlight? His room at Gibraltar only had one window and it was on the side in which the sun didn't rise...

_Oh._

The events of the past week came rushing back to him, making him want to curl up into a little ball and ignore the world, just as he had every morning sense the world went to shit.

Instead, however, he closed his eyes a bit tighter and turned away, so that his arms were wrapped around Genji instead of the cyborg's arms around him. He buried his face into the mop of surprisingly silky hair, and ignored the world for a few more minutes.

When Genji started to shift a few minutes later, however, he let the pretense of no worries slide.

"Jess'?" Genji slurred sleepily. 

"Yeah darling."

Genji hummed, snuggling closer to him before going rigid in his arms. "It wasn't a dream."

"No."

"I wish it was."

"Me too."

They stayed like that for a few minutes more, before sleepily gathering their wits and sitting up.

"What now?" Genji asked despondently as he leaned on Jesse. They were staring on the window to the waking city outside. 

It looked so normal, Jesse thought, as if the world hadn't turned on its head.

 _Well, their world hadn't,_ a little voice in his head whispered. _Just yours._

"I-I don't know. To be honest I really hadnt thought much past get out of the base." He admitted to the sleepy cyborg beside him.

Said cyborg hummed in acknowledgement before turning on the little tv across from the bed. He dejectedly flipped through the channels as he and Jesse thought about their predicament.

_"¿Por qué no me amas?"_

_Plátanos y peras María! Por qué?"_

_"¡Yo te amaba!"_

_"La ballena azul finalmente ha sido devuelta a-"_

_"Tomorrow the treaty between-"_

_"Can you feel the love tonight-_ "

_"Last night, sirens were heard to have gone off at Watchpoint Gibraltr, soon to be shut down-"_

_"Mr. Stark?"_

"Wait!" Jesse shouted. "Go back!"

Genji gave him a look but did as told, turning back to the international news channel they had been on.

 _"United Nations, following the incident, has put warrants out for two men, formerly agents of Overwatch, or more exactly, Blackwatch, the Blackops of the peace-keeping organization."_ The fair skinned lady on the screen was saying.  _"The warrants for one Jesse Mccree and one Genji Shimada, are for theft of government property, acts of violence, and more. It is to be noted that Mccree was given a medal of honor after the Ominic crisis, and Genji Shimada is a cyborg created by the esteemed Doctor Ziegler. They are wanted alive and anyone who turns them in will be given a large sum of money in reward."_ Their faces appeared in place of the women for a few moments before she began speaking again  _"In other news, China has agreed to-"_

Genji shut the TV off with a sudden click of the remote, freezing in his spot. Jesse knew he to was frozen in place, shocked at the news.

They were wanted men? How were they suppose to rebuild their life now? Or go after who ever killed Gabe and Jack and -

His thoughts were cut off by the cool of a metal hand on his arm.  _Genji_. Jesse noticed how the man's hands shook as he tried to calm him down, and snapped out of it.

He had been a wanted man before. They both had. They could do this.

"Genji'"

"Jesse."

They smiled at each other, words going unspoken as they passed comoftr to the other.

"So- what now?" Genji asked him. "Have a plan yet?"

"Maybe," Jesse hummed thoughtfully. "What about you sugar? Got any ideas in that head of yours?"

"Maybe," Genji parroted back at him with a laugh. "I believe we should stay on the move - ditch the hovercycle, get a regular one, get fake id's, leave the country- make ourselves invisible. Perhaps change our looks a bit - they had old pictures on our wanted posters."

"You read my mind," the cowboy laughed. "Gabe," It still hurt to say that name "Gabe had a few IDs put away for us, wouldn't let any other agent see them, all hush hush y'know? In case of something like this. They're in Madrid I think."

The hand on his arm had stopped shaking, but now it became stiff and rigid.

"Jesse." Genji said in a low voice. 'What ID did you use to buy our room?"

Jesse now froze as well.

"Shit." He had used his actual one.

They shared a frightened look and dashed into action. Jesse went to grab their bags and weapons, tossing Genji's sword to him as he looked out the window.

"They are here." Genji announced carefully, sliding back into the mindset of the assasin -the living weapon- he was. "Two on the roof across from us, and three on the other with a squadron at the front of the building. There is presumably one at the back as well."

"We can go out another window on the first floor and dissapear into that market we passed on our way in. Do you think they have the bike?"

"Yes- what did we leave in it?"

"Nothing important, just some clothes, food, a medkit. A few weapons but nothing important like Peacekeeper or your sword."

Jesse could the relieved breath Genji gave. "Good. Let us continue."

They causally walked out of the room, leaving the TV on and window open, trying to appear causal and nonchalant, as if a squadron of troopers wasn't out there, ready to take them down.

Well, more accurately, they were there to take  _Genji_ down. He was the 'living weapon' after all.

Jesse froze at the thought before taking couple steps to keep up with his partner, lacing his fingers in with the cyborg's. Genji gave him a look but squeezed his hand back.

 _Genji,_ Jesse's mind thought. Sure, he was dangerous but Genji was almost on another level- and worse, people didn't really think he was  _human._ They just saw another robot-another thing they thought that didn't deserve basic rights and if that didn't make Jesse's blood boil then-

No. He would  _not_ lose his cool. He would not lose another person he loved to  _anyone_ ever again.

The reached the first floor of the building, and instead of turning towards the lobby, they turned to the side hallway. They then turned to the left and walked straight to the window at the ending. Genji silently unlatched the window and lifted up, allowing Jesse to jump through before climbing through himself and shutting it.

"Let's go." He told the other once he was through, and Jesse raced to keep up with the fast pace he set.

"Market, right?" Jesse asked.

"Yes - we have cash, correct?"

"Yeah- couple hundred dollars."

"We will get on a bus north, then get off, turn south and head to Madrid. From there we will leave the country."

"Sound's like a plan, hon."

The walked in silence in the morning light. Jesse did his best to seem casual. Just another tourist on the streets, with a big bulky backpack and weird boots and a hat. Just another guy doing some early morning shopping before it became too hot, not a fugitive running from the law _nope_ -

A hand reached out to brush his, and Jesse easily clasped Genji's hand in his gloved one. Genji squeezed his hand once then relaxed, as Mccree looked at him from the corner of his eye.

He finally realized what Genji could be incredibly anxious about, as he had been initiating contact in public more often for the whole morning. It wasn't the people after them no- Genji could deal with that.

It was the fact that Genji was unmasked, displaying his lower face for the world to see. That was a sight usually reserved for doctors and Jesse alone. Of course he had to take it off now- his mask was a bit suspicious.

His bare face, covered in slahing scars with pale unhealthy skin, and a synthetic lower jaw wasn't much better (even if Jesse himself thought he looked absolutely  _stunning_  with the way the golden sun of Spain shined a olden ambience on him that was beautiful to look at and-) but it was less noticeable. 

"Put yer hood up," Jesse told him, wanting to make him feel more comfortable.

"Can't," Genji whispered back. "It'll draw attention."

Jesse hummed, consenting to the logic but wishing it wasn't true as they rounded the corner to the market. 

However, just as they did so a ruckus erupted from behind them.

"There! There they are!"

Well shoot- they had been spotted. At once, in sync both Jesse and Genji dropped the pretense of being causal tourists and sprinted into the market.

The market, bright and colorful as it was, was also full of chaos. Even in the bright morning people were hawking their wares out on the streets. But the calls of wares such as " _Fresh peas"_ and " _Bright cloths for any occasion,"_ In the native language of course were cut off by screams of terror from the armed men and women surging into the market.

It was moments before the crowd seemed t pinpoint that it was Jesse and Genji they were after, and to avoid them, causing them to lose their hiding spots in the crowd. 

"Want to split up?" Jesse asked the other man, as he pulled Peacekeeper from his bag. 

"It would be for the best- where should we meet up?" Genji asked as he copied Jesse's actions, pulling his sword from his back.

"The bay in an hour, by the plaza: I've got an idea." 

Genji nodded, and in the blink of an eye was gone, sprinting down the street opposite of Jesse.

Jesse watched him for a second befre dodging off toward the bay as the troops called out for him.

He quickly took off his hat and tied up his hair in an effort to blend in with the crowd. He took off his jacket as well and hid Peacekeeper underneath it as he tied it around his waist.

_Now, let's see if I can find what iIm looking for..._

_-_

An hour later, Jesse was waiting along the sandy beaches of Barcelona, keeping an eye out for Genji and the troops as he did so. He was so focused on the street in front of him that he didn't notice Genji sneaking up on him until it was too late.

"Hello Mccree," his accented voice said in a low voice behind him.

"Gah!" Jesse whipped his head around to glare at the man laughing hysterically behind him. "Warn a guy will you?"

"Your face!" Genji doubled over, clutching his stomach. "Oh my god, your face! That was great!"

It took awhile for him to calm down, but once he did he looked over Jesse approvingly. "I like the hair - and the ride," He said, gesturing to the baby blue scooter that Jesse had been leaning on before Genji surprised him. "Did you hijack that one as well?"

"Yep," Jesse confirmed as he leaned back against to scooter. "Figured we could ride out of the city first then get a bus since they are looking for us here."

"Good idea." Genji agreed, as he climbed onto the scooter beside Jesse. "We could ditch the scooter near another road as well, to further throw them off."

"My thought 'xactly." Jesse revved the scooter and off they went, speeding through traffic and into the city. "I looked at the map as we go in - there's a road just outside of the city with a bus stop half a mile from it. If we ditch on the road a mile from it which goes in the opposite direction of the bus, and go to the bus, we could make the 12 o'clock stop and get the hell outta here. What'dya think?"

"Good idea -but what if we destroyed the bike as well? Or dented it? To make it seem like we were stuck and didn't mean to leave it?"

"Yeah that'll work and-" Jesse was cut off by the sound of an angry male voice shouting at them.

"You there!" The man, tan skinned with an incredibly ugly mustache, yelled at them. It was an officer, with a trooper next to him. "Stop right there! Hands on head!" He said in broken English.

The trooper followed his view and hefted the gun he had in hand.

"Aw hell," Jesse said as he turned the speed up on the scooter, speeding through the near empty back alley street. Genji held on tighter to him as bullets started to fly.  "Can ya reflect 'em?" he called back to the ninja over the wind.

Instead of answering Genji turned, whipped his sword out, and began to reflect the bullets into the ground. They were almost out of the city- if Genji could hold it a  _little_ longer then-

 _There_! Jesse took the next turn, speeding out into the open air. Genji relaxed from his twisted position on the seat. "That was close. Let us get to the bus before they catch up."

"You got it partner."

-

The bus ride was long. and boring. And hot. And boring. Had he already said boring? probably. 

Jesse looked out the window at the slowly darkening sky, and rested his head on Genji's which was in turn resting on Jesse's shoulder. The younger man had closed his eyes and pulled up his hood about three hours ago in order to avoid the uncomfortable stares he was getting. It wasn't helping his state of mind that his breathing was becoming uncomfortably harder to do, due to time away from his mask. He could be without for generous periods of time, but eventually he needed the clear filtered, medicine induced air it gave him so his synthetic lungs stayed healthy.

It was hard, but they needed to stay undercover. It would only be for another hour anyway, as Madrid was incredibly close.

Jesse reached out and shifted Genji so that he could rest his head on Jesse's lap instead of his shoulder. Thankfully the bus was mostly deserted so they had room for this arrangement. Genji stirred briefly but went back to sleep once Jesse started carding through his hair with one had. The other went to prop his head up  as he turned again to look out the window. 

The plan to leave the city had worked near perfectly, the only hitch being that they missed the first bus (so Jesse didn't have super-ninja-cyborg endurance. _Whatever_. Big deal,) and they had to wait for the next, but otherwise it was almost suspiciously easy.

But, as the saying went, don't look a gift-horse in the mouth or whatever. 

Jesse fought the urge to let his eyes close as he waited for their bus to stop. Eventually it did stop, and he shook Genji awake.

"Come on sweeheart," He gently shook Genji's shoulder, "We're here."

Genji woke up wordlessly and grabbed his bag. They walked out without any suspicious glances, and made it to the abandoned apartment complex where the hideout was. 

"Well," Jesse announced, throwing his stuff on the round, "Here we are. You do perimeter check while I look for the IDs" Genji nodded silently, clasping on his mask as he did so, and dashed.

It took awhile, but Jesse found the ID's hidden in an old drawer just as Genji came back. He was silently relieved to see how much easier Genji was breathing when he came back, but instead of commenting on it pointed out their ideas. 

"Here's mine, Joel-aw seriously? He knows I hate that name- Morricone" Genji, thankfully, didn't comment on the present tense of the verb. Jesse moved on, handing the younger his own ID, "Here's yours"

"Gaku Shibata?" Genji questioned, looking at the picture of him on the card. Jesse leaned over to look at him with him. There was Genji, face bare in all his scarred glory, with a distant look in his red eyes, and neatly shaved hair.

"That-that doesn't look like you."

"No, Jesse, thanks for noticing," Genji said dryly, placing the ID on the table. 

"I think we have a machine for making new ones around here somewhere- I just need to take a picture of you and we can do it-"

A hand on his wrist stopped him from getting to far.

"Jesse." The way Genji said his name, so vulnerable, so different from the dry wit he had a moment ago, stopped him far more than the hand on wrist did. "Not-not tonight."

An unspoken message passed between them. No pictures. No confronting the fact that Genji looked vastly different now. Just them.

"Sure thing sugar." Jesse smiled at him. "Now what'dya say about some shut eye? We can plan tomorrow- this place is as safe as you can get."

Genji smiled wanly and led him to the bed. "Sleep." He agreed, snapping off external armor bits and crawling into bed as he waited for Jesse to change and join him.

They were asleep within minutes of their heads hitting the pillow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please point out any mistakes Imight have made!  
> and wow, I feel the characterization here was really, like, off?  
> Any ideas on how to fix it?  
> Thank you!  
> -Whirly


	3. Think Upon Your Actions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who decided to update? Me thats who.  
> (Feel free to skip these notes!)
> 
> I've actually had this chapter finished for awhile, but I wasn't happy with it. Still aren't actually. It didn't take the direction I wanted it took go.  
> But whatever.
> 
> As usual, please point out any mistakes I made! I made a couple of edits to previous chapters, correcting spelling and such, but I know I didn't catch all of them.
> 
> Thank you!  
> \- Whirly

Genji was no where to be found.

Jesse had looked in the bathroom, under the bed, the closet, upstairs, the basement, the roof, just outside, anywhere he could think of, but he could not find him. He was just about to head off into the main parts of the city when Genji reappeared.

"Genji!" He shouted, exasperated, as the man entered the building. "Where have you been! I was thinking the worse!" He really had been, and had almost worked himself into a panic attack when he had woken up without the man's cool warmth beside him.

"I am sorry Jesse," Genji apologized as he reached up on his toes and placed a gentle kiss on Jesse's cheek. "I was in town, grabbing a few items. I stayed undercover- don't worry."

He gestured to his outfit, a large hoodie, taped on sunglasses and Jesse's sweatpants. "No one could recognize me in these."

"Yeah, yeah," Jesse huffed, hiding his laugh at the smaller man all but drowning in the larger clothes. "So what did you get?" He asked as he started rummaging through the bag Genji had brought in. "Food? Please say ya brought food-wait is this hair dye? Genji, I'm not dying my hair- what is this bright green? Neon green? Hon," He looked up pleadingly to Genji who was trying to stifle his giggles. At the look Jesse gave him, Genji lost it.

"No! No!" He laughed. "It's for me- I used to have green hair remember? I figured I could dye my hair like that again to avoid suspicion. What do you think?"

Jesse was silent for a moment before agreeing. "Alright partner, let's dye your hair. How do we do this?"

"I'll do it - you can barely trim your beard."

"Hey! I can trim my beard just fine- gimme a razor and I'll show you!"

"How about no-" Genji stepped out of the way of Jesse's steps. "But you should grow your hair out, it'll help you blend in. Besides,  _I_ like your beard."

Jesse grumbled but eventually seceded to Genji's thinking.

Genji spoke up again as he grabbed the bleach and other items he needed for doing his hair out of the bag. "You should shower first, and I'll pack our bags- I bought some new ones with more space and that are easier to carry. Then I'll get in, do my hair, and you take the new pictures of us."

"Sound's like a plan. Speaking of plan's, how 'bout after this we plot our course?" Jesse suggested. "And then maybe go out for dinner - we've barely had anything to eat in the past two days." It was true, the last thing Jesse had had was an energy bar at five yesterday.

"Okay- I saw this cute little place down the street, we can have dinner there - now get in the shower! I want to do my hair!" Genji pushed him, a happy bounce in his motions.

"Alrigh' Alrigh'! Im goin!" Jesse laughed in turn as he headed in.

The minute he was done, Genji rushed in, eager to simply rinse the dust and sweat from his metal body and clean his hair. Jesse looked at the bags he had grabbed for them in the meantime, seeing his and Genji's clothed packed in neat piles in the black bags and silently placing a few of their weapons in the discreet pockets along the sides.

He was starting up the copier machine when he heard a crash from the bathroom.

"Genji?" He asked, rushing to the bathroom. When he reached the room, the sight he saw made him wince.

There was Genji, sitting on his knees on the floor, a hand held mirror shattered inches away from an outstretched hand. There was a towel wrapped around his unarmored shoulders, to protect them from the dye of his newly green hair. The man was frozen as his stared at the mirror shards, as if he was seeing a ghost.

In a way, Jesse supposed he was.

"Genji" He said, softer this time. Genji made a strangled noise from his throat, and Jesse lunged to catch him as he collapsed farther on to the ground. "Come on, sweetheart, what is it? Come on, you can tell me," He soothed, rubbing circles with calloused hands onto Genji's wet cheeks.

"I-I-..." Genji stammered then trailed off. Jesse waited patiently for him to be able to speak again, making soft little cooing noises as he did so.

Eventually Genji regained his voice. "I look so different." He said softly. "Like  _me_ but not me- I don't know how to feel- I just wish I looked normal and that I wasn't so ugly and that-"

"Hey now-" Jesse hushed him. "None of that- you're the most beautiful person I know, and I don't want you slandering yourself do you hear me?"

"But-"

"No- I don't want to hear." Softer, Jesse continued. "You look amazing to me, anyway you are. But it's how you feel that matters. Do you feel okay with your hair like this? Or do you want to dye it black again?"

"I... I like it like this. Maybe not how it looks but..." Genji trailed off. "It feels like  _me_ again."

Jesse smiled, and hugged him close, peppering soft kisses to his face. "That's all I need to hear. And hey, it matches your new armor."

Genji rubbed a hand against his red, wet eyes, silently reveling in the fact that he could _cry_ again. "Yes," He laughed breathlessly, "I suppose it does."

"Come on then - let's take your picture and give you your mask again - all this bleach can't be good for you- I don't think its good for even me."

Genji followed him out into the main room, where he tossed on a loose shirt so he looked slightly more presentable in the picture. Jesse had him stand near the wall, and in a moment it was over. Jesse went to input the picture as Genji started to truly dress for their little excursion onto town.

While Genji was getting change, Jesse took a moment to appreciate how Genji looked with his hair dyed.

He looked younger. Brighter. Happier, when he wasn't in shock, as if all his worries had been washed away. So much different from the Genji Jesse knew.

He couldn't help but think that he would love this Genji even more.

A half an hour later, they were ready to go, with new IDs in hand. Jesse had thrown on a simple plaid shirt with jeans and boots, and had opted to put his hair in a bun. Peacekeeper was hidden behind a jacket he had tied around his waist. Genji had taken off all his padded armor in order to slip into a pair of loose skinny jeans, a loose green top, and a padded black jacket with a hood which hid the sword strapped to his back.

He had, yet again, taped on sunglasses.

"Wow, sugar," Jesse smiled at him, "You look mighty fine,

"As do you, Cowboy. After you," Genji said, gesturing toward the door and putting on his mask. Jesse smiled and walked out, Genji close behind him.

They had decided to eat first then plan, as they could barely go a second without their stomachs growling.

"Where too?" Jesse asked the man holding his hand.

"Downtown on the left. About a five minute walk." Jesse hummed in acknowledgement, following his boyfriend's lead.

It was a nice day out, if slightly busy at noon. The sun was shining, the city was humming and the birds were chirping. It was almost peaceful as the two wanted men sat in the seating at the cafe. They were silent and simply enjoyed the day. Genji peeled off his sunglasses as he sipped at the water that had been served, Jesse watching him.

Once they received their food, two simple meals of sandwiches and salads, their manners changed into something more serious as they began to plan.

"We want to track down Talon," started Jesse, leaning in with a hard edge in his whispered voice. "But we don't have any leads or resources. An' the cops are after us"

"But we do know who could have resources- and leads." Genji lead in as well, a smirk on his face. "Overwatch- but they are shut down." He frowned.

"Stuff's gotta go somewhere"

"Hmm... what if we went to U.N.?

"They might have some info.."

They planned well into the evening, only leaving when the waiter politely, yet sternly, asked them to go for the shop was closing for it's afternoon break.

They had several goals mapped out and plans, and a dozen ways to get to them, all safely locked away in the recesses of their mind.

The first goal? Revenge of course. Reports blamed Talon as the culprit of the Watchpoint attack, and the murderers of many valued team members ( _family members)_. They would  _not_  be allowed to go unpunished. Therefore, Jesse and Genji's first goal was to take down Talon by any means possible. (They also briefly discussed the downfall of the Shimada clan- but as Genji pointed out the clan was practically nothing more than remnants of a legend, and Hanzo was presumed dead. Japan could wait.)

The second goal? Stay out of government custody. There was no telling what would happen if they were caught, especially with their past and the rumored corruption of Overwatch. (There were  _many_  things that had gone wrong when they were in service to the organization, and not all of it ... accidental)

Thirdly? Try to get some semblance of a life back. Eat, sleep, drink, be merry etc. etc.

They wanted to live not just survive. Like they had been, with Blackwatch. With Overwatch. 

And so their plan turned out. To achieve their goal they would have to lay low. Security would be heightened after their little stunt at Gibraltar. It would be extremely hard with all their nonexistent resources to get into the information department now, so they would travel to known Talon hotspots in the meantime, until security became more lax.

First stop? London- Talon operatives had been spotted there a week before the base blew. With luck, they would still be there.

They hoped.

(It was a long shot, but it was something, and they had to hang on to something right?)

-

Genji awoke at two in the morning, to a quiet shuffling beside him. Internal scanners were already telling him data about the room- what had shifted in the night, the time of day, temperature and other environmental readings. They also informed him of the increased heart rate of the larger man lying in bed next to him, sweaty and distressed.

Jesse. 

Genji sat up quietly, assassin training being used to keep his partner undisturbed as he  leaned over to inspect him. The man was biting his lip, his face was sweaty, his heart rate up, and his hands curled in the resemblance of a certain revolver, currently hid under his pillow. It was a nightmare- one of the more mild ones to look at it.

(When did nightmares become so common between them, that they could tell when they were having a nightmare and how bad it was, just by the shape of their hands and their face? When did this become commonplace? Would it ever stop?)

( _no_ )

Jesse's lips were moving now, in a barely heard whisper.

"Gabe..gabe no.." Gabriel. He was calling for Gabriel.

Genji shifted in the bed, slowly pulling the thin sheets off of him so that he could move freely. He reached out a hand and placed it on the man's shoulder.

The reaction was instantaneous. Jesse practically jolted awake with a loud gasp and eyes flashing open. Peacekeeper was within his hands within an instant, loaded aimed and readied at the only other person in the room: Genji. However, the ninja was also ready- his sword was in his hands, ready to deflect the possible six bullets about to be shot at him.

"Jesse," Genji whispered in a disarmingly calm voice (when did he become so good at this, so  _used_  to calming down an armed cowboy in his bed?), "It is only me."

A moment. He readied his sword and-

"Genj'?" 

Genji immediately relaxed, allowing his sword to fall softly to the bed beside him. Jesse relaxed as well, but still kept his hand around his gun, trembling slightly.

The ninja sat with his hands in his lap, waiting patiently as Jesse struggled to find the words to speak.

"It was the Watchpoint." Jesse finally started, hand clenching dangerously around his gun. "I was there this time- and there was so much smoke and you were gone and there was G-Gabe's body just there all burned and covered with ash -" He gasped loudly, struggling for breath as tears welled up at the edge of his eyes. He dropped Peacekeeper to pressed the palms of his hands into his eyes.

The second he did so, Genji rushed to embrace the man as best he could. He wrapped his arms around him, pulling close and sitting up, so that Jesse's ear was level with where his half-synthetic heart was in his chest (and the small whirring of foreign machinery that kept him up at night but enough about that Jesse needed his help, you stupid dragon.)

(The little voice in his mind was silent.)

As Genji rearranged them both to his liking, Jesse's breath even out. He relaxed from his tense positioning to completely collapse on Genji's arms, becoming a limp lump of cowboy.

They sat like that, with no word's of comfort beyond  _I'm here_  uttered in the dark bedroom, until they lowered naturally from their sitting position into a lying one, and went to sleep.

There were no nightmares this time. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A note about characterization:
> 
> I want to explain why suddenly Genji's like, super sappy and calmish, without Zenyatta's influence.  
> This is an AU, where it follows the popular Fanon where Blackwatch was one big happy family and they were all super close. As seen in retribution, that is not so. Sassy yes, family? not really. In canon, Genji really didn't have that support system or kindness until Zenyatta. Here, in this AU, he has had that, and while he is not completely healed, or as healed as he is in canon, he has mellowed out and is less angry about the world and has a more stable mentality, making him softer and more like his old self.  
> Kinda.  
> His old self seemed a bit like a brat.
> 
> Also! I personally head canon that Genji's dragon speaks to him in his head, but its sometime hard to discern which is the dragon, and which is Genji thinking. so that's the explanation for the "little dragon" bit if any of you were wondering.
> 
> Anyway! Thanks for reading!  
> \- Whirly


	4. You Done?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay! I finally found a way to get the story on to it's road trip path. It was a struggle, and the chapters short, but I did it! 
> 
> As always, please tell me any mistakes I made! 
> 
> Also, thanks to every one who commented, gave kudos, bookmarked, or even read this! It means a lot.  
> (Also I will probably not respond to comments as I am a bit anxious about that kind of thing, but please know that I do read them and they mean a lot! I actually am planning on incorporating some of the ideas given in future chapters!)
> 
> Thanks!  
> -Whirly

It had been a year.

A year of nightmares and sleepless nights. A year of hunting, of surviving, of hearts calling for revenge. A year of dodging police and governments and terrorists alike.

A year of hope and energy dropping away bit by bit until they became exhausted with the weight of it all.

They were tired. Genji and Jesse both.

The call for revenge still echoed inside them both but it was quieter now, more sullen.

They couldn't go on like they had been anymore.

So they didn't.

-

(Of course they could never really leave their life behind now could they? They had been through too much for that. 

Their sins would always stain their hearts, and the marks of battle would always scar their skin ( what was left of them anyway)

But they could try.)

-

They were in Paris when they finally decided to stop actively hunting for revenge. It had been a rough week, as Talon forces had chased them all across the French country side after they had attacked one of the bases there.

The fact that the police were after them as well didn't help matters. 

The morning found Jesse nursing a warm cup of coffee, looking dully out at the view from their balcony, with Genji resting his head on his shoulder.

"Jesse?" Genji asked, quiet and sullen.

"Yeah?" The cowboy responded.

"I'm tired."

"So am I."

"No- I mean of running. Hunting. Chasing this revenge and getting hurt in return! I just... want to  _be_." Genji explained, lifting his head so he could look Jesse straight in the eye.

Jesse hummed, and stared down into the brown of his coffee. It was awhile before he responded.

"Me too, sugar, me too."

-

That very day, they forgot about their plans to attack the next Talon base in search of clues. They forgot about their faces on wanted posters across the world and the odd glances they got from civilians on the streets.

They just were.

-

The city of love felt much more romantic when you had someone you loved with you.

Genji and Jesse spent the day wandering around the city, fooling around in shops, and taking pictures on the disposable camera they had bought at the beginning of their day. They made fun of the art in the Louvre and nearly fell into the Seine while trying to stand on the railing. 

The two stopped in at least three cutesy cafes and made googly eyes at each other the whole time. The bought little key chains from a souvenir  shop, and walked hand in hand to the Eiffel Tower. There, at the top, they got kicked out for trying to climb on the tower itself instead of just using the stairs and walkways.

However, this was not before they were able to take a few Polaroids of themselves with the lights of city behind them on the tower.

(They will both get sappy looks in their eyes as they look at the pictures later. There is one of them kissing, another of them embracing, one of them acting completely ridiculous, and lastly, one of them just staring at each other. The tourist who they snagged to take the picture had taken it on impulse, they truly hadn't meant to take it.

It is undoubtedly one of their favorite pictures.)

They fall asleep in their room later, feeling content and relaxed in a way they hadn't felt in a long, long time. 

They will act when needed, and if the opportunity arises, take their vengeance.

But for now and the foreseeable future, they relax and simply  _be._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rest assured, we will be seeing flashbacks to the year they spent hunting down talon in future chapters. However, I really wanted to get on with the fun random road trip part, so yeah... flashbacks!
> 
> Also Im debating on whether to have Jesse's arm lost in that year, or after - thoughts anyone?
> 
> Thanks for reading!  
> \- Whirly

**Author's Note:**

> Thoughts?
> 
> Also, once again, please point out any mistakes I may have made!


End file.
